Génome Québec is pleased to announce that two major international research projects have been selected for funding under Genome Canada’s new funding competition, Genomics and Feeding the Future.

Ensuring food safety and reducing the economic burden of salmonellosis

Lawrence Goodridge of McGill University and Roger C. Levesque from Institute for Integrative Systems Biology of Université Laval are leading a team that is using whole genome sequencing to identify the specific Salmonella strains that cause human disease. With this knowledge, the team will develop natural biosolutions to control the presence of Salmonella in fruit and vegetables as they are growing in the field. The team will also develop new tests to rapidly and efficiently detect the presence of Salmonella on fresh produce before it is sold to consumers, as well as tools to allow public health officials to determine the source of Salmonella outbreaks when they occur, so that contaminated food can be quickly removed from grocery stores and restaurants. Their work will reduce the number of people infected with Salmonella each year, as well as the economic costs of the infection.

François Belzile and Richard Bélanger of Université Laval are leading a team that will probe deeply into the genetic code of soybeans to identify DNA markers that control key aspects of plant growth such as time to maturity and resistance to diseases and pests. Breeders will be able to use these markers to develop improved soybean varieties best suited to Canadian weather conditions. The team will also breed soybean varieties resistant to certain prevailing pests and diseases. As well, they will conduct research focused on maximizing the growth potential of the soybean industry in Canada to accelerate producer adoption of soybeans in western Canada. Economic spinoffs of this research have the potential to reach $278 million annually, based on increasing the yield potential of soybean crops, increasing their resistance against diseases and pests and reducing the use of pesticides.